Emperor Palpatine
Palpatine is a fictional character and the main antagonist of the Star Wars saga.Fernando Bueno, "The Emperor (Emperor Palpatine)," Star Wars: The Force Unleashed Prima Official Game Guide (Roseville: Prima Games, 2008), 20. In the original trilogy, he appears as the Emperor of the Galactic Empire where he is an aged, pale-faced figure who is clad in dark robes. He oversees the Galactic Civil War's final stages between the Rebel Alliance and the Empire, in which he is ultimately destroyed. In the prequel trilogy, he is a middle-aged politician of the Republic who rises to power through deception and treachery. As the Senator from Naboo and later the Chancellor of the Republic, he outwardly behaves like a well-intentioned and loyal public servant and supporter of democracy.Martin M. Winkler. Classical Myth & Culture in the Cinema. Oxford University Press, 2001. Pp. 287. But underneath his affable public persona is his true megalomaniac identity Darth Sidious, a Dark Lord of the Sith. As both personas, he sets into motion a series of events—including the Clone Wars—which ultimately destroy the Jedi Knights and the Republic, allowing him to usher in a brutal authoritarian regime of the Galactic Empire. Since the initial theatrical run of Star Wars, he has become a symbol of evil and sinister deception in popular culture. Appearances Star Wars films Original trilogy In Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope, several characters mentions the Emperor as the ruler of the Empire but he is neither properly named nor seen in the film. In Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back, the Emperor appears for the first time as the master of Darth Vader. The Emperor contacts Vader via holographic communication to tell him of a "great disturbance in the Force" and warns him that the son of Skywalker is becoming a threat. Vader convinces the Emperor that he would be an asset if he could be turned to the dark side of the Force.Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back, Special Edition (DVD, 20th Century Fox, 2004), disc 1. In Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi, Emperor Palpatine arrives to oversee the last stages of the second Death Star's construction and set a trap for the Rebel Alliance. When Darth Vader delivers his son Luke Skywalker, the Emperor is intent on replacing Vader with a younger, more powerful apprentice so he tempts the young Jedi to the dark side by appealing to his fear for his friends. This leads to a lightsaber duel in which Luke defeats and nearly kills Vader. Luke ultimately refuses to turn to the dark side, however, and the Emperor attacks him with Force lightning. Moved by the sight of his son's suffering, Vader turns on his master and redeems himself by throwing the evil Emperor into the Death Star's reactor shaft, killing him.Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi, Special Edition (DVD, 20th Century Fox, 2004), disc 1. Prequel trilogy as Senator Palpatine in Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace.]] In Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace, the character is shown as two personas: Palpatine being the senior Galactic Senator from the planet Naboo while his Sith alter-ego Darth Sidious influences the corrupt Trade Federation to blockade and invades Naboo. Queen Padmé Amidala flees to the planet Coruscant to receive counsel from the Senator. After a plea for help from the senate results in bureaucratic delays, Palpatine persuades her to make a motion to have Chancellor Finis Valorum removed from office. Meanwhile, Sidious sends his apprentice Darth Maul to Naboo to oversee the invasion and find the queen. The invasion, however, is thwarted by Jedi Qui-Gon Jinn and his apprentice Obi-Wan Kenobi; in the ensuing lightsaber duel, both Maul is defeated and Jinn is killed. Palpatine returns to Naboo, having been elected the new Chancellor of the Republic. He tells nine-year-old Anakin Skywalker, the newly accepted as Obi-Wan's Jedi apprentice, that "we will watch your career with great interest".Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace (DVD, 20th Century Fox, 1999), disc 1. In Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones (set 10 years later), the galaxy is on the verge of civil war as a growing Separatist movement of planets seeks to secede from the Republic to form the Confederacy of Independent Systems led by Count Dooku (Darth Tyranus), a former Jedi and Sidious' second apprentice. While Obi-Wan pursues bounty hunter Jango Fett and his clone "son" to the planet Geonosis, Palpatine tells Anakin to bring Padmé to her home planet Naboo and guard her; Anakin and Padmé soon fall in love. After Obi-Wan discovers that the Separatists are building a secret battle droid army, Palpatine uses the situation to have himself granted emergency powers. Palpatine seemingly feigns reluctance to accept this authority, promising to return it to the Senate once the crisis has ended. His first act is to allow the usage of an army of cloned human warriors to counter the Separatist threat as this army had recently been discovered by Obi-Wan as having been secretly ordered by deceased Jedi Master Sifo-Dyas many years earlier. When Anakin, Obi-Wan, Padmé and the other Jedi go to Geonosis, they engage in an epic battle that serves as the opening salvo of the Clone Wars. Although Fett dies at Jedi Master Mace Windu's hands, Dooku and the Separatists escape the battle. Dooku then meets with Sidious, bringing with him plans for a Geonosian superweapon.Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones (DVD, 20th Century Fox, 2002), disc 1. In Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith (set three years later), Palpatine is captured by Separatist leader General Grievous as part of Sidious' plan. Palpatine is rescued by Anakin and Obi-Wan, but not before the Jedi confront Dooku. A short duel ensues, in which Anakin kills Dooku in cold blood at Palpatine's urging. Palpatine then escapes with his Jedi rescuers and returns to Coruscant. By this point, Palpatine has become a virtual dictator, able to take any action in the Senate. The Jedi Council is troubled by Palpatine's power and fears he will not relinquish it when the Clone Wars end. Their suspicions only grow when the Senate grants Palpatine a vote on the Jedi Council by appointing Anakin as his personal representative on the Jedi Council. However, the Council refuses to grant Anakin the rank of Jedi Master. The Council then orders Anakin to spy on Palpatine, but he instead reveals the Jedi's plan to him. Palpatine tells Anakin the story of Darth Plagueis the Wise, a powerful Sith Lord (and Sidious' own Sith master) who was able to manipulate life and death but was killed by his apprentice (Sidious). Eventually, Palpatine reveals his secret identity of Sidious to Anakin and tempts him with promises of the power to prevent death. Palpatine knows that Anakin has been having visions of his pregnant wife Padmé dying in childbirth and offers to teach him Plagueis' secrets to save her life. Confused and torn over his loyalty to both Palpatine and the Jedi, Anakin informs Windu that Palpatine and Sidious are one and the same. When Windu and fellow Council members Kit Fisto, Agen Kolar and Saesee Tiin go to arrest Palpatine, the Chancellor surprises them and kills all but Windu. Palpatine unleashes Force lightning at Windu. But Windu deflects it back with his lightsaber at Palpatine, deforming his face into the wizened, yellow-eyed visage seen in the original films. Anakin appears and intercedes on Palpatine's behalf, cutting off Windu's hand; Palpatine then blasts Windu with another barrage of lightning, throwing him out the window to his death. Anakin pledges himself to the dark side, and Palpatine accepts him as his new apprentice Darth Vader. Palpatine commands the clone troopers to execute Order 66, a secret order he implanted in them to turn on their Jedi generals. He then dispatches Vader to kill everyone inside the Jedi Temple and assassinate the Separatist leaders on the planet Mustafar. He then reorganizes the Republic into the Galactic Empire with himself as Emperor for life. Jedi Master Yoda confronts Palpatine in his Senate office. After a duel erupts between them which ends in a stalemate, Yoda flees. Sensing that Vader is in danger, Palpatine travels to Mustafar where he finds his apprentice near death following a duel with Obi-Wan. Palpatine returns to Coruscant with Vader and rebuilds his new apprentice's ruined body with the black armored suit first seen in the original trilogy. When Vader regains consciousness, Palpatine falsely tells him that he (Vader) killed Padmé in the heat of his anger, breaking what remains of Anakin's spirit. Palpatine is last seen watching the original Death Star's construction with Vader and Wilhuff Tarkin at his side. Clone Wars .]] 2003 Animated Series Palpatine/Sidious is a central character in Genndy Tartakovsky's ''Star Wars: Clone Wars micro-series after Attack of the Clones with the character's likeness based from The Phantom Menace and Attack of the Clones. In the first chapter, Palpatine is informed by Obi-Wan that the Jedi have discovered that the InterGalactic Banking Clan has established battle droid factories on the planet Muunilinst. Palpatine agrees to send a strike force that includes Obi-Wan and Anakin but Palpatine suggests that Anakin be given "special command" of Obi-Wan's fighters. Yoda and Obi-Wan initially speak against it but reluctantly concede to the Chancellor.Chapter 1, Star Wars: Clone Wars, episode 101, aired November 7, 2003. In another chapter, Sidious appears (via a holographic image) shortly after Dooku trains Asajj Ventress, a Force-sensitive female warrior adept in the dark side. Sidious orders her to track down and kill Anakin; he remarks to Dooku that her failure is certain but the point of her mission is to test Anakin.Chapter 7, Star Wars: Clone Wars, episode 107, aired November 17, 2003. In Chapter 22, Sidious again appears (via a hologram) and orders Grievous to begin the special mission: an assault on the galactic capital.Chapter 22, Star Wars: Clone Wars, episode 202, aired March 22, 2005. In the next episode, the Separatist invasion of Coruscant begins and Palpatine watches from the window in his private residence. He is protected by Jedi Shaak Ti, Roron Corobb and Foul Moudama. Grievous breaks through the Chancellor's window and kidnaps him.Chapter 23, Star Wars: Clone Wars, episode 203, aired March 23, 2005. After Grievous kills Roron and Foul then captures Ti, Palpatine is taken to the Invisible Hand (Grievous' flagship), setting the stage for Revenge of the Sith.Chapter 24, Star Wars: Clone Wars, episode 204, aired March 24, 2005.Chapter 25, Star Wars: Clone Wars, episode 205, aired March 25, 2005. 2008 Animated Series In the 2008 animated film set between Attack of the Clones and Revenge of the Sith, Sidious engineers a Separatist plot to turn Jabba the Hutt against the Republic by kidnapping his son Rotta and framing the Jedi for it. Anakin and his apprentice Ahsoka Tano foil the plot but the outcome also suits Palpatine ends as Jabba places Hutt hyperspace routes at the Republic's disposal. In the spinoff animated series, Sidious hires deadly bounty hunter Cad Bane to infiltrate the Jedi Temple and steal a holocron. He then takes a valuable Kyber memory crystal that contains the names of thousands of Force-sensitive younglings around the galaxy and thus the future of the Jedi Order. The final stage of the plot: to retrieve four children to bring to Sidious' secret facility on Mustafar. Anakin and Ahsoka again foil the plot but Bane escapes and any evidence of whoever was behind the scheme is lost. When Maul and his brother Savage Opress took control of the planet Mandalore, Sidious travles to the planet to confront them. During a lightsaber battle, he manages to kill Savage and defeat his former apprentice. He leaves Maul alive though as he may be useful in the future. Star Wars literature Star Wars Expanded Universe literature elaborates on Palpatine's role in Star Wars fiction outside of the films. The first appearance of Palpatine in Star Wars literature was in Alan Dean Foster's (writing as George Lucas)Novels, Novelizations, and Collections, at AlanDeanFoster.com; last accessed August 27, 2006. novelization of the script of A New Hope, published as Star Wars: From the Adventures of Luke Skywalker (1976).George Lucas Dean Foster, Star Wars: From the Adventures of Luke Skywalker (paperback; New York: Del Rey, 1976), p. 1, ISBN 0-345-26079-1. Foster characterizes Palpatine as a cunning Senator who "caused himself" to be elected president of the Republic, and then declared himself Emperor and isolated himself from his subjects, eventually becoming a pawn of his advisors. Palpatine made his first major appearance in the Expanded Universe in 1991 and 1992 with the Dark Empire series of comic books written by Tom Veitch and illustrated by Cam Kennedy. In the series, set six years after Return of the Jedi, Palpatine is resurrected as the Emperor Reborn or Palpatine the Undying. His spirit returns from the underworld of the Force with the aid of Sith ghosts on Korriban and possesses the body of Jeng Droga, one of Palpatine's elite spies and assassins known as the Emperor's Hands. Droga flees to a secret Imperial base on the planet Byss, where the Emperor's advisor Sate Pestage exorcises Palpatine's spirit and channels it into one of many clones created by Palpatine before his death. Palpatine attempts to resume control of the galaxy, but Luke Skywalker, who is now a Jedi Master, sabotages his plans. Luke destroys most of Palpatine's cloning tanks, but is only able to defeat the Emperor with help from his sister, Princess Leia, who is now herself a Jedi. The two repel a Force storm Palpatine had created and turn it back onto him, once again destroying his physical form.Tom Veitch, Dark Empire anthology (Dark Horse Comics, 1993), ISBN 1-56971-073-2. '' series by Tom Veitch and Cam Kennedy.]] Palpatine's ultimate fate is further chronicled in the Dark Empire II and Empire's End series of comics. The Dark Empire II series, published from 1994 to 1995, details how the Emperor is once again reborn on Byss into a clone body. Palpatine tries to rebuild the Empire as the Rebel Alliance grows weak.Tom Veitch, Dark Empire II anthology (Dark Horse Comics, 1995), ISBN 1-56971-119-4. In Empire's End (1995), a traitorous Imperial guard bribes Palpatine's cloning supervisor to tamper with the Emperor's stored DNA samples. This causes the clones to deteriorate at a rapid rate. Palpatine attempts to possess the body of Anakin Solo, the infant son of Princess Leia and Han Solo, before the clone body dies, but is thwarted once again by Luke Skywalker. Palpatine is killed by a blaster shot fired by Han, and his spirit is captured by a wounded Jedi named Empatojayos Brand, who uses his remaining strength to dissipate Palpatine's spirit, destroying the Sith Lord once and for all.Tom Veitch, Empire's End anthology (Dark Horse Comics, 1997), ISBN 1-56971-306-5. Novels and comics published before 1999 focus on Palpatine's role as Galactic Emperor. Shadows of the Empire (1996) by Steve Perry and The Mandalorian Armor (1998) by K. W. Jeter—all set between The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi—show how Palpatine uses crime lords such as Prince Xizor and bounty hunters like Boba Fett to fight his enemies.Steve Perry, Shadows of the Empire (New York: Bantam Spectra, 1996), ISBN 0-553-57413-2.K. W. Jeter, The Mandalorian Armor (paperback; New York: Bantam Spectra, 1998), p. 144, ISBN 0-553-57885-5. Barbara Hambly's novel Children of the Jedi (1995), set eight years after Return of the Jedi, features a woman named Roganda Ismaren who claims that Palpatine fathered her son Irek.Barbara Hambly, Children of the Jedi (paperback; New York: Bantam Spectra, 1996), ISBN 0-553-57293-8. The Jedi Prince series of novels introduces an insane, three-eyed mutant named Triclops who is revealed to be Palpatine's illegitimate son.Paul and Hollace Davids, Mission from Mount Yoda (New York: Scholastic, 1993), ISBN 0-553-15890-2. Created from DNA extracted from Palpatine and placed into a woman, he was born mutated, cast away and forgotten. Triclops had a son named Ken who became known as the Jedi Prince but also as Palpatine's grandson. Beginning in 1999 with Terry Brooks' [[Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace (novel)|novelization of The Phantom Menace]], Star Wars writers chronicled the role of Palpatine prior to A New Hope as a politician and Sith Lord. The comic "Marked" by Rob Williams, printed in Star Wars Tales 24 (2005), and Michael Reaves's novel Darth Maul: Shadow Hunter (2001) explain Darth Sidious' relationship with his apprentice Darth Maul.Rob Williams, "Marked," in Star Wars Tales 24 (Dark Horse Comics, July 2005).Michael Reaves, Darth Maul: Shadow Hunter (paperback; New York: Del Rey, 2001), ISBN 0-345-43541-9. Cloak of Deception (2001) by James Luceno follows Reaves's novel and details how Darth Sidious encourages the Trade Federation to build an army of battle droids in preparation for the invasion of Naboo. Cloak of Deception also focuses on Palpatine's early political career, revealing how he becomes a confidante of Chancellor Finis Valorum and acquainted with Padmé Amidala, newly elected queen of Naboo.James Luceno, Cloak of Deception (paperback; New York: Del Rey, 2001), ISBN 0-345-44297-0. Palpatine's role during the Clone Wars as Chancellor of the Republic and Darth Sidious is explained in novels such as Matthew Stover's Shatterpoint (2003), Steven Barnes' The Cestus Deception (2004), Sean Stewart's Yoda: Dark Rendezvous (2004), and Luceno's Labyrinth of Evil (2005) and Darth Plagueis (2012). Following the theatrical release of Revenge of the Sith, Star Wars literature focused on Palpatine's role after the creation of the Empire. John Ostrander's comic Star Wars Republic 78: Loyalties (2005) chronicles how, shortly after seizing power, Emperor Palpatine sends Darth Vader to assassinate Sagoro Autem, an Imperial captain who wants nothing to do with the new government and plans to defect.John Ostrander, Star Wars Republic 78: Loyalties (Dark Horse Comics, October 2005). In Luceno's novel Dark Lord: The Rise of Darth Vader (2005), set shortly after Revenge of the Sith, the Emperor sends Darth Vader to the planet Murkhana to discover why clone troopers there refused to carry out Order 66 against their Jedi generals. Palpatine hopes these early missions will teach Vader what it means to be a Sith and crush any remnants of Anakin Skywalker.James Luceno, Dark Lord: The Rise of Darth Vader (New York: Del Rey, 2005), ISBN 0-345-47733-2. Characteristics In Star Wars fiction, Palpatine is a cunning politician, a ruthless emperor, and an evil Sith Lord. The Star Wars Databank describes him as "the supreme ruler of the most powerful tyrannical regime the galaxy had ever witnessed" and Stephen J. Sansweet's Star Wars Encyclopedia calls him "evil incarnate.""Palpatine, Emperor," in Stephen J. Sansweet, Star Wars Encyclopedia (New York: Del Rey, 1998), p. 224, ISBN 0-345-40227-8 As a Senator, Palpatine is "unassuming yet ambitious".Palpatine at the Star Wars Databank; last accessed February 6, 2008. In Cloak of Deception, James Luceno writes that Palpatine carefully guards his privacy and "others found his reclusiveness intriguing, as if he led a secret life".Luceno, Cloak of Deception, p. 124. Despite this, he has many allies in the government. Luceno writes, "What Palpatine lacked in charisma, he made up for in candor, and it was that directness that had led to his widespread appeal in the senate. ... For in his heart he judged the universe on his own terms, with a clear sense of right and wrong." In Terry Brooks' [[Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace (novel)|novelization of The Phantom Menace]], Palpatine claims to embrace democratic principles. He tells Queen Amidala, "I promise, Your Majesty, if I am elected of the Republic, I will restore democracy to the Republic. I will put an end to the corruption that has plagued the Senate."Terry Brooks, Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace (paperback; New York: Del Rey, 1999), p. 238-239, ISBN 0-345-43411-0. A Visual Dictionary states that he is a self-proclaimed savior.The Visual Dictionary of Star Wars, Episode III Revenge of the Sith, 2005. James Luceno, ISBN 0-7566-1128-8 As Emperor, however, Palpatine abandons any semblance of democracy, as noted in A New Hope, when he abolishes the Imperial Senate. Sansweet states, "His Empire ... is based on tyranny, hatred of nonhumans, brutal and lethal force, and, above all else, constant fear." In Matthew Stover's [[Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith (novel)|novelization of Revenge of the Sith]], Count Dooku anticipates the coming of the new government: "A government clean, pure, direct: none of the messy scramble for the favor of ignorant rabble and subhuman creatures that made up the Republic he so despised. The government he would serve would be Authority personified. Human authority."Matthew Stover, Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith (paperback; New York: Del Rey, 2005), p. 52, ISBN 0-345-42884-6. The apprentice of Darth Plagueis,Darth Sidious, at the Star Wars Databank; last accessed August 17, 2006. Palpatine is "the most powerful practitioner of the Sith ways in modern times."Palpatine, Expanded Universe, at the Star Wars Databank; last accessed August 17, 2006. Palpatine is so powerful that he is able to mask his true identity from the Jedi. In the novel Shatterpoint, Mace Windu remarks to Yoda, "A shame Palpatine can't touch the Force. He might have been a fine Jedi."Matthew Stover, Shatterpoint (paperback; New York: Del Rey, 2003), p. 10, ISBN 0-345-45574-6 The Star Wars Databank explains that the Force "granted him inhuman dexterity and speed, agility enough to quickly kill three Jedi Masters" (as depicted in Revenge of the Sith). Stover describes the duel between Yoda and Palpatine in his novelization of Revenge of the Sith thus: "From the shadow of a black wing, a small weapon ... slid into a withered hand and spat a flame-colored blade. When the blades met it was more than Yoda against Palpatine, more the millennia of Sith against the legions of Jedi; this was the expression of the fundamental conflict of the universe itself. Light against dark. Winner take all."Stover, Revenge of the Sith, p. 424. During the duel, Yoda realizes that even though the two are equally powerful, Sidious represents a small but powerful Sith Order that had changed and evolved over the years, while the Jedi had not: "He had lost before he started."Stover, Revenge of the Sith, p. 426.http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Skirmish_in_the_Senate George Lucas has stated that Palpatine considers himself the saviour of the galaxy. According to the Databank and New Essential Guide to Characters, Palpatine possesses great patience and his maneuverings are as a dejarik grandmaster moves pieces on a board.The New Essential Guide to Characters, 1st edition, 2002. Daniel Wallace, Michael Sutfin, ISBN 0-345-44900-2 He is depicted as a diabolical genius.Revised Core Rulebook (Star Wars Roleplaying Game), 1st edition, 2002. Bill Slavicsek, Andy Collins, J.D. Wiker, Steve Sansweet, ISBN 0-7869-2876-XMovie, Television and Proprietary Collectible Figures - Sideshow Collectibles, Inc. - Toy, WETA, Lord of the Rings, James Bond, Muppets, Military, Universal Monsters Character creation Lucas' conceptualization of Palpatine and the role the character plays in Star Wars changed over time. From Return of the Jedi onwards, Palpatine became the ultimate personification of evil in Star Wars, replacing Darth Vader as the central villain. When the original Star Wars trilogy was filmed, the Emperor was unnamed and his throne-world unidentified. Though it would not be used in film until the prequel trilogy, the first mention of the name Palpatine came from the prologue of Alan Dean Foster's 1976 A New Hope novelization, which detailed the Emperor's rise to power. Foster writes, However, it is unclear whether Lucas intended Palpatine to be the reigning Emperor or just the first of a succession of Emperors. Michael Kaminski, author of The Secret History of Star Wars, claims that Lucas' initial notes discuss a line of corrupt Emperors, not just one. If Palpatine was the first, Kaminski infers, he would therefore not be the current. Later Lucas would abandon this idea, opting instead to focus on a sole villainous ruler. During story conferences for The Empire Strikes Back, Lucas and Leigh Brackett decided that "the Emperor and the Force had to be the two main concerns in the [Empire Strikes Back]; the Emperor had barely been dealt with in the first movie, and the intention in the sequel was to deal with him on a more concrete level."Bouzereau, Annotated Screenplays, p. 173. Lucas ultimately decided instead to feature the Emperor in Return of the Jedi. . Bonaparte rose to power as First Consul of the French Republic and later declared himself Emperor of a new French Empire.]] In that film, the initial conception of Palpatine was superseded by his depiction as a dictatorial ruler adept in the dark side of the Force. The Emperor was inspired by the villain Ming the Merciless from the Flash Gordon comic books.Dale Pollock, Skywalking: The Life and Films of George Lucas (New York: Da Capo Press, 1999), p. 142, ISBN 0-306-80904-4. The rise of Palpatine involving an ambitious and ruthless politician dismantling a democratic republic to achieve supreme power is related to the real-world examples of Julius Caesar, Napoleon Bonaparte, and Adolf Hitler.John C. McDowell. The Gospel according to Star wars: faith, hope, and the force. Westminster John Knox Press, 2007. Pp. 105. Lucas said, "The whole point of the movies, the underlying element that makes the movies work, is that you, whether you go backwards or forwards, you start out in a democracy, and democracy turns into a dictatorship, and then the rebels make it back into a democracy."George Lucas, interview with Debbie Dykstra, at SciFi.com; last accessed August 17, 2006. Lucas wanted to establish the Emperor as the true source of evil in Star Wars. Screenwriter Lawrence Kasdan noted, "My sense of the relationship Darth Vader and the Emperor is that the Emperor is much more powerful ... and that Vader is very much intimidated by him. Vader has dignity, but the Emperor in Jedi really has all the power."Lawrence Kasdan, quoted in Bouzereau, Annotated Screenplays, p. 265. He explained that the climax of the film is a confrontation between Darth Vader and his master. In the first scene that shows the Emperor, he arrives at the Death Star and is greeted by a host of stormtroopers, technicians, and other personnel. Lucas states he wanted it to look like the military parades on "May Day in Russia."George Lucas, commentary, Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi, Special Edition (DVD, 20th Century Fox, 2004), disc 1. Lucas fleshed out the Emperor in the prequel films. According to Lucas, Palpatine's role in The Phantom Menace is to explain "how Anakin Skywalker came to be Palpatine's apprentice" and the events that lead to his rise to power.Jonathan L. Bowen, Anticipation: The Real Life Story of Star Wars: Episode I-The Phantom Menace (Lincoln, Neb.: iUniverse, 2005), p. 4, ISBN 0-595-34732-0. The true identity of Darth Sidious — the phantom menace — is left a mystery, and his relationship to Palpatine is not clear, though popular consensus agreed that Darth Sidious and Palpatine were one and the same. Film critic Jonathan L. Bowen remarks, "Debates raged on the Internet concerning the relationship between Darth Sidious and Senator Palpatine. Most fans believed the two characters are actually the same person with logic seeming to support their conclusion." Bowen notes that the debate was fueled by the fact that "suspiciously Darth Sidious does not appear in the credits."Bowen, Anticipation, pp. 93-94. Portrayal '' portrayed by Elaine Baker and voiced by Clive Revill.]] When the Emperor first appeared in The Empire Strikes Back, he was portrayed by Elaine Baker, the wife of make-up designer Rick Baker. Chimpanzee eyes were superimposed into darkened eye sockets during post-production "in order to create a truly unsettling image". The character was voiced by Clive Revill.Palpatine, Behind the Scenes, at the Star Wars Databank; last accessed August 17, 2006. "With Kershner," Revill said, "you had to keep the reins tight — you couldn't go overboard. It was the perfect example of the old adage 'less is more' — the Emperor doesn't say very much. But when he finally appears, it's at a point in the saga when everyone's waiting to see him. It's the Emperor, the arch villain of all time, and when he says there's a great disturbance in the Force, I mean, that's enough oomph!" [http://www.wizardsandwarriors.org/show/articles/starwars.htm Chernoff, Scott. "Clive Revill: Voice of the Emperor." Star Wars Insider May/June 2000: 60.] Years later, during production of Revenge of the Sith, Lucas decided to shoot new footage for Empire Strikes Back to create continuity between the prequels and original trilogy. Thus, in the 2004 DVD release of The Empire Strikes Back Special Edition, the original version of the Emperor was replaced by McDiarmid, and the dialogue between the Emperor and Darth Vader was revised.Douglas Hyde, "Five major changes in the 'Star Wars' DVD," September 23, 2004, at CNN; last accessed August 17, 2006. Lucas and director Richard Marquand cast Scottish Shakespearean actor Ian McDiarmid to play Emperor Palpatine. He was in his late-30s and had never played a leading role in a feature film, though he had made minor appearances in films like Dragonslayer (1981). After Return of the Jedi, he resumed stage acting in London."The Man of Mystery," in "Ian McDiarmid: Dark Force Rising," at StarWars.com; last accessed August 17, 2006. In an interview with BackStage, McDiarmid revealed that he "never had his sights set on a film career and never even auditioned for the role of Palpatine." He elaborated, "I got called in for the interview after a Return of the Jedi casting director saw me perform in the Sam Shepard play Seduced at a studio theatre at the Royal Court. I was playing a dying Howard Hughes."Simi Horwitz, "The Emperor's New Role", BackStage, May 25, 2006, available here; last accessed September 5, 2006. McDiarmid was surprised when Lucas approached him 16 years after Return of the Jedi to reprise the role of Palpatine. In an interview, he stated, "When we were doing Return of the Jedi there was a rumor that George Lucas had nine films in his head, and he'd clearly just completed three of them." McDiarmid added, "Someone said that, 'Oh, I think what he might do next is go back in time, and show how Vader came to be.' It never occurred to me in a million years that I would be involved in that, because I thought, 'oh well, then he'll get a much younger actor play Palpatine.' That would be obvious." However, "I was the right age, ironically, for the first prequel when it was made. ... So I was in the very strange and rather wonderful paradox of playing myself when young at my own age, having played myself previously when 100-and-I-don't-know-what.""Palpatine Speaks," in Homing Beacon 134, April 14, 2005, at StarWars.com; last accessed August 17, 2006. Recalling the initial days of shooting The Phantom Menace, McDiarmid stated, "Stepping onto the set of Episode I for the first time was like going back in time, due to my experience in Jedi. Palpatine's an interesting character; he's conventional on the outside, but demonic on the inside — he's on the edge, trying to go beyond what's possible.""Actors and Characters - Part II," in "Star Wars Episode I: Production Notes," at StarWars.com; last accessed August 17, 2006. McDiarmid added another layer to the character in Attack of the Clones. He noted, "Palpatine is a supreme actor. He has to be even more convincing than somebody who isn't behaving in a schizophrenic fashion, so he's extra charming, or extra professional — and for those who are looking for clues, that's almost where you can see them." McDiarmid illuminated on the scene where Padmé Amidala is almost assassinated: }} In Revenge of the Sith, McDiarmid played a darker interpretation of the character. He explained that "...when you're playing a character of solid blackness, that in itself is very interesting, in the sense that you have no other motivation other than the accumulation of power. It's not so much about not having a moral center, it's just that the only thing that mattered is increasing power." He admitted, "I've been trying to find a redeeming feature to Palpatine, and the only one I've got so far is that he's clearly a patron of the arts because he goes to the opera.""Palpatine's Point of View," in Homing Beacon 137, May 26, 2005, StarWars.com; last accessed August 17, 2006. McDiarmid compared the character to Iago from Shakespeare's Othello: McDiarmid noticed that the script for Revenge of the Sith demanded more action from his character than in previous films. Lightsaber combat was a challenge to the 60-year-old actor, who, like his costars, took fencing lessons. The close-up shots and non-acrobatic sequences of the duel between Palpatine and Mace Windu were performed by McDiarmid."Becoming Sidious," Web Documentary, Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith, Bonus Materials (DVD, 20th Century Fox, 2005), disc 2; also available at StarWars.com; last accessed August 17, 2006. Advanced fencing and acrobatic stunts were executed by McDiarmid's doubles, Michael Byrne, Sebastian Dickins, and Bob Bowles.Cast and Crew of Revenge of the Sith, at StarWars.com; last accessed August 17, 2006. McDiarmid's performance as Palpatine was generally well received by critics. Todd McCarthy of Variety commented, "Entertaining from start to finish and even enthralling at times, 'Sith' has some acting worth writing home about, specifically McDiarmid's dominant turn as the mastermind of the evil empire."Todd McCarthy, review of Revenge of the Sith, Variety, available here; last accessed August 17, 2006. A reviewer for The Village Voice wrote that "Ian McDiarmid's unctuous Emperor turns appropriately vampiric as he attempts to draw Anakin into the Sith fold with promises of eternal life."Ed Halter, "May the Force Be Over; The end of the beginning: Lucas's adolescent space opera concludes in a CGI Sith Storm," The Village Voice (New York), May 11, 2005, available here; last accessed August 17, 2006. Still, his performance was not without detractors; David Edelstein of Slate critiqued, "McDiarmid isn't the subtlest of satanic tempters. With his lisp and his clammy little leer, he looks like an old queen keen on trading an aging butt-boy (Count Dooku) for fresh meat — which leaves Anakin looking more and more like a 15-watt bulb."David Edelstein, "The Passion of the Sith: I dream of Jedi," Slate, May 17, 2005, available here; last accessed August 17, 2006. Make-up and costumes Ian McDiarmid required little make-up in The Phantom Menace and Attack of the Clones. He recalled, "I'm ... slightly aged [in Attack of the Clones]. In the last film, I had a fairly standard make-up on, but now, they're starting to crinkle my face.""A Return in Episode II," in "Ian McDiarmid: Dark Force Rising," at StarWars.com; last accessed August 17, 2006. Transforming McDiarmid into Emperor Palpatine in Return of the Jedi and Revenge of the Sith, however, required extensive make-up. McDiarmid remarked in an interview with Star Wars Insider magazine, "Yes—that was a four-hour job, initially, although we got it down to about two-and-a-half in the end. But this was just a little bit of latex here and there, a little bit of skin-scrunching." He told the Homing Beacon newsletter, "When my face changes in the film, my mind went back to the early silent movie of The Phantom of the Opera with Lon Chaney." Film critic Roger Ebert wrote that he "looks uncannily like Death in The Seventh Seal" (1957)Roger Ebert, review of Return of the Jedi, Special Edition, in Chicago Sun-Times, March 14, 1997, available here; last accessed August 17, 2006. and film historian Robin Wood compares him to the witch from Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.Robin Wood, Hollywood from Vietnam to Reagan...and Beyond: A Revised and Expanded Edition of the Classic Text (New York: Columbia University Press, 2003), p. 154, ISBN 0-231-12966-1. Palpatine's wardrobe, tailored by costume designer Trisha Biggar, played an important part in the development of the character throughout the films. In Attack of the Clones, explained McDiarmid, "The costumes ... have got much more edge to them, I think, than the mere Senator had [in The Phantom Menace]. So we see the trappings of power." In the next episode, McDiarmid remarked, "To wear the costumes as the character I play is wonderfully empowering.""Crafting Revenge", in "An Introduction to Episode III," at StarWars.com; last accessed August 17, 2006. McDiarmid's favorite costume in Revenge of the Sith was a high-collared jacket that resembles snake or lizard skin. He stated that "it just feels reptilian, which is exactly right for Palpatine." According to Trisha Biggar, Palpatine's costumes proved the most daunting challenge. She said, "His six costumes get progressively darker and more ornately decorated throughout the movie. He wears greys and browns, almost going to black, taking him toward the dark side." Popular culture With the premiere of Return of the Jedi and the prequel films and the accompanying merchandising campaign, Palpatine became an icon in American popular culture. Kenner/Hasbro produced and marketed a series of action figures of the character from 1983 to 2005.Geoffrey T Carlton, Star Wars Super Collector's Wish Book: Identification & Values (Paducah, Ky.: Collector Books, 2003), passim, ISBN 1-57432-334-2. According to John Shelton Lawrence and Robert Jewett, "These action figures allow children ('4 & up') to handle the symbols of the Force."John Shelton Lawrence and Robert Jewett, The Myth of the American Superhero (Cambridge: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing, 2002), p. 266, ISBN 0-8028-4911-3. Academics have debated the relationship of Palpatine to modern culture. Religion scholars Ross Shepard Kraemer, William Cassidy, and Susan Schwartz compare Palpatine and Star Wars heroes to the theological concept of dualism. They insist, "One can certainly picture the evil emperor in Star Wars as Satan, complete with his infernal powers, leading his faceless minions such as his red-robed Imperial Guards."Ross Shepard Kraemer, William Cassidy, and Susan Schwartz, Religions of Star Trek (Boulder, Colo.: Westview Press, 2003), p. 69, ISBN 0-8133-4115-9. Lawrence and Jewett argue that the killing of Palpatine in Return of the Jedi represented "the permanent subduing of evil". Palpatine's role in popular culture extends beyond the Star Wars universe. Since the release of Return of the Jedi, Palpatine has become synonymous in American mass media with evil, deception, manipulation, and power.Koenraad Kuiper, "Star Wars: An Imperial Myth," Journal of Popular Culture 21 (No. 4, Spring 1988): p. 81. The character is used as a literary device — either as a simile or metaphor — to emphasize these traits. In film and television, Palpatine's likeness is similarly used as a parody. Several animated television series such as The Simpsons,"Hungry, Hungry Homer," The Simpsons, episode 262, aired March 4, 2001. Family Guy,"The Cleveland-Loretta Quagmire," Family Guy, episode 55, aired June 12, 2005. South Park, Robot Chicken, and American Dad!,"Deacon Stan, Jesus Man," American Dad!, episode 7, aired June 19, 2005. have employed Palpatine's image to satirize characters and public figures. Since Return of the Jedi and the prequel films, Palpatine's name has been invoked as a caricature in politics. The liberal website BuzzFlash remarked in 2004, "When we saw ... Senator Zell Miller [[Georgia (U.S. state)|Georgia]] giving his invective at the RNC, we knew it reminded us of someone. We just couldn't place it until we realized it was the hate in Zell's eyes, his skin and the way it looks like that hate is eating his soul. Then we remembered: he reminded us of the evil Emperor Palpatine from Star Wars. (We didn't know the Emperor had a name until this morning.)""Is Zell Miller the Evil Emperor from Star Wars?," September 2, 2004, at BuzzFlash; last accessed August 17, 2006. A Seattle Post-Intelligencer editorial noted that anti-pork bloggers were caricaturing West Virginia senator Robert Byrd as "the Emperor Palpatine of pork" with Senator Ted Stevens of Alaska having "clear aspirations to be his Darth Vader." The charge followed a report that linked a secret hold on the Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act of 2006 to the two senators."Open Government: Pork protection," Seattle Post-Intelligencer, September 1, 2006, available here; last accessed September 5, 2006. Politicians have made comparisons as well. In 2005, Democratic Senator Frank Lautenberg of New Jersey compared Republican Majority Leader Bill Frist of Tennessee to Palpatine in a speech on the Senate floor, complete with a visual aid."Signs Speak as Loud as Words", FOX News, May 25, 2005; last accessed September 1, 2007. A Fox News editorial stated "no cultural icon can exist without someone trying to stuff it into a political ideology. The Star Wars saga, the greatest pop culture icon of the last three decades, is no exception... Palpatine's dissolution of the Senate in favor of imperial rule has been compared to Julius Caesar's marginalization of the Roman Senate, Hitler's power-grab as chancellor, and FDR's court-packing scheme and creation of the imperial presidency."Thomas A. Firey, "Star Wars Saga Reflects Political Ideals," May 22, 2005, at Fox News; last accessed August 17, 2006. References Category:Sith Lords Category:Male Characters Category:Characters Category:Villains Category:Star Wars Characters Category:Deceased Characters Category:The clone wars characters